Apparatus for coating strand material



:Juy 3G, w29.. R. C. KNLEY Mzzm APPARATUS FOR. COAIING V.STRAND MATERIAL 'Filed Dec'. 12, 1925 i SUN1'rangs'nimr 1,122,519 PAT-ENT lvoriiciz.

RAY CHARLES RrvLEY, or' o'Ax PARK, ILLINoIs, AssreNoR :ro v vEs'rERN ELECTRIC g o oMrANY, rNcoRrCRATm), or NEw YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW YORK..

' AEPARATUS E oR 'coA'rING s 'frRANn MATERIAL'.

Application filed December l likelihood' of the rubber burning. The sodium silicate is applied'to the wire in the form of a water solution thereof, andl subscquently subjected' to heat to volatiliz'e the l, water and leave a continuous coating of flexible sodiumj silicate. However, in performing 'these operations with apparatus wliichlias been used heretofore for this purpose it has been necessary to exercise" extreme care to Vinsure satisfactory and uniform results 4because the character of the coating varies greatlyvwith slight changes in concentration of the solution, and. exposure ofthe solution 'to the air will very quickly produce a change in the composition due to the evaporation of water. This evaporation, besides increasing the concentration ofthe solution, also causes a scum to form ontop of the' sodium' silicate, and this scum adheres to tliedwire ,loforml luulilps whic `ma clog gui e pu eys au ot er portildis'of the apparatus and which might 'produce an inferior product. There may 'also be some difficulty in obtaining an adherence of the sodium silicate to the rubber insulation of the wire, because many rubber 'compounds used for insulating purposes vcontain some-,parailin which may in some instances prevent the sodium sil'uite solution, having the surface tension characteristics of water, from adhering evenlyto the, surface thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for expeditiously apply ing a uniform coating of a liquid material to astrand. v

In one'embodiment ofthe invention. the strand to be Asubjected to a solution of sodium. silicate passes oversheaveslocated in a-receptacle which contains only a suflicient amount of sodiumvsilicate to completely ,immerse the sheaves, resulting in the application of a coating on the strand,-and which is so designed' that only a very small ai'ea of the sodiuin silicateis exposed to theair,

12, 1925. serial No. 752,617.' p

thereby reducing to a minimum the evaporation of the water contained in the solution. In order to` facilitate the application of the sodium silicate a sponge rubber wiper is positionedin thel receptacle below the l1 :vel

G0 of the solution contained -therein to meclianically assist vin the' adhesion of the liquid` to theV strand. After \the application of the 'coating of' sodium silicate the strandl is -passed through a heated tube serving to effectively dry the sodium silicate coating. The level of the sodium silicate in the' receptacle is maintained constant by the use of an automatic feeding arrangement which responds, when the level of the solution contained'in the receptacle falls belowa certain point, to supply an additional amount of solution to brinohthe level of the solution to a predetermined point.

`The invention will be more fully understood from the following 'detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a schematic elevational View, partially in section, of an apparatus embodying the 'main features of the invention showing the manner in which the coating apparatus is utilized toapply a coating to a strand be- 1 fore the introduction of the strand into -a braiding machine for applying a braided covering thereon;

Fig. 2 is van enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig.v3 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the manner in which a single reser- Voir is utilized to supply coating solution to a number of machines. Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals are employed to designate similar members throughout the several views, a' strand 10 which may be an electrical conductor coveied with rubber insulation and which is to be coated with a liquid material ,suchas sodium silicate to render the insulation less inflammable is drawn from a souice .of supply l1, over a guide pulley l2, a plurality of-sets of sheaves 15.

15 and. 16, 16, respectively, guide pulleys 20 and 21,*tlirough a braiding machine o any suitable and ordinary type designated generally by the numeral 25 by a capstan 2G', whence the coated and braid covered strand is taken up on a suitable take-up spool 27. .The sheaves 15, 15, made preferably of hard ber being so .designed that a comparatively small area of surface 'of the sodium sili4 cate is exposed to the air.' A 4sponge rubber wiper 32 is provided to promote the adfa tube to prevent injury to hesion of the sodium silicate' solution to the strand on the first pass of the strand through the chamber by mechanically bringing the sodium silicate into. vintimate contact withjhe strand. Intermediate the sheaves 15, 15 and 16, 16 are a pairof tubes an 36, the former, containing aheating element 37, being for the purpose of dr ing thestrand, andthe tube 36-being simp y` the coatingon the strand 1(),.

4The chamber 30 is supplied with sodium silicate through a pipe 40 which is connected with a vessel 41- positioned in a receptacle 42'(Fig. 3)which vessel 41 is adapted to be supplied with a sodium' silicatesolution from an air tight reservoir 43.' A fountain feed is suppliedfrom the reservoir43 into.l

the vessel 41 by a short .pipe 45 projecting I downwardly.v into the vessel 41 in .such a manner that the sodium silicate Asolution will be discharged vtherethrough as long as the lower] orifice of the-pipe 45 is exposed,I

but when such orificeyis sealed by the liquid in the vessel 41 further flow thereof is prevented. This results in having a uniform level of thesodium silicate-solution in the vessel 41 and since a direct connection is afforded between thevessel 41 and the chamber 30 a uniform level is maintained inthe chamber 30'asf well. The receptacle 42 is partially 4filled with vwater and coveredso tha't a humid atmosphere is maintained therein, thus elfectually preventing evaporation of water from the sodium silicate solutioncontaihed in the vessel 41. cut-olf valve is inserted in the filler cap 51 is provided .on t l This permits the' filling-ofthe reservoir 43 while the machine is ilffoperation', the'valve 50' being closed andthe filler can 51 re:

Ipipe 45 and a moved to-permitv fillingof the reservoir.

This prevents liojw ofthe sodium silicate so lution through the pipe 45 which would shortenough so that the level of thel sodium silicate solution in the 60 chamber 30 isnot appreciably lowered.

Fig. 3 shows an arrangement in which' thef reservoir 43 is common to a plurality )of coating machines.' lIn this figure aline pipe 55 is connected with the vessel 41 in the receptacle 42, and extends along in front of e reservoir 43.

sodium sllicate is the several coating machines and a lshort pipe (not shown) is utilizedat each. ma-

chine positionto connect the`line pipe 455 with the 'chamber 30 individual to each machine.- 1

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for'applying a'liquid Y' material'to a strand, a chamber for containing theliquid material, saidV chamber having a small opening to present-'a restricted area .of the liquid material to the-air, a passageway for supplying .the liquid material -to the chamber, 4a second chamber communieating with the passageway, a reservoir for the liquid material. having a pipe extending into the second chamber for controlling the iow thereof into the second chamber, means for maintaining a humid atmosphere above the second chamber,vmeans for advancing the strand through theop'ening vin the. first mentioned chamber tocoat it with the liquid material, and means'for drying the resulting coating on the strand.' y f 2.' In an apparatus'forA applying sodium silicate to a strand, a chamber for contain- .ing asolution of sodium silicate, said chamber designed to restrict'the area of the solution `exposed to the-air, a passageway for supplying the solution to the chamber, a second chamber communicating with the passageway, means for maintainingA a humid `atmosphere above the second chamber, a

reservoir for 'the sodium silicate having a.

.'pipe extending-into' the second chamber for controlling the'flow f of sodium silicate into the second chamber, means for advancing the strand through the chamber to coatthe'."

strand with the solution`,"and means for drying the; resulting coating on the strand.

3. ln anapparatus for applying sodium silicate to an-insulated conductor, a chamberfor containing a solution 'of sodium s ilcate, saidchamberjdesigned to restrict the area of the solgdtionA exposed to the air, a passageway for'supplymg the solution'to the chamber, a second chamber communicating withthe passagewaya reservoir for the sodium silicate solution havin@ a ipe extending into the second cham eror controlling the flow of the sodium silicate solution into the second chamber, aplurality of sheaves in the chamber, a plurality of oppositely disposedj sheaves, means for advancing the conductor over the. sheaves to coat it with the solution, 'means positioned in the chamber for promoting the adhesion of said coating to the conductor, and means' for drying the coating to leave a solid coating .of sodium silicate on. the conductor.

4. In 'an apparatus for .applying a' liquid materialto a strand, a chamber' for contain- `ing the liquid material, means for advancing the strand l through the chamber to apply a coating thereto, means for supplying liquid 1material to the chamber, and means for vmaintaining 'zi-humid atmosphere' in the i Y presence of liquid material the supplying means;v

5. In anapparatus for applying a liquid simultaneously to alplurality of strands, a chamber .for each .strand containing the.

` .liquid material, a common reservoir, means i for automatically eontrolling`- the flov;r of. Athe liquid material from the reservoir to the' chambers, means for maintainin aVA humid atmosphere. above 'the vcontroling means, means' for advancing the strands strand.

lmy name f6. In an apparatus for applying a liquid.

material to a strand, a .chamber forcontaining, the liquid material, means for automatically controlling" the"fam'ount of the liquid material in theeehamber, means for advancing the strand through theehamber to apply a coating thereto, and stationary' resilient means submerged in the liquid materiahcompletely surrounding and engaging the strand for promoting the-adhesion of the 2 v liquid material ,thereto In witness whereof this 25th day of November, A, D; 1925.

` RAY- .CHARLES KIVLEY- I hereunto subserilie-I- Y 

